1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to temperature display systems, and more particularly, to a device used to display real-time temperature of water delivered by a showerhead.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for water temperature display systems have been designed in the past. None of them, however, includes a real-time temperature display that is installed directly to an existing shower arm and showerhead, without modification of any in-wall plumbing system. In addition, none of them include an adjustable LCD display panel to provide optimal viewing angles.
Typical shower temperature control systems consist of cumbersome and expensive adaptations that require replacement of existing plumbing systems, including installation of electrical wiring. These modifications are very expensive and time consuming; furthermore, most consumers are not eager to dismantle their bathroom walls or wall tiles for devices that practically have no market presence or time-tested reliability. If the typical shower temperature control system were to fail, the user would have a second expense of having to rebuild the plumbing system back to its originality. Other shower temperature control systems require retrofitting devices that control a mixing chamber and mount on an outside wall, but only when the hot and cold water have a dependent valve control. These devices would not work on typical shower systems that have independent hot and cold controls prior to a mixing chamber.
In addition, other systems fail by displaying water temperature that is nonexistent. When water flow is not present, typical temperature sensors continue to read the internal and external temperatures of the mixing chamber, coupling, and pipes caused by heating retention of the materials. This thermo affect causes these type of systems to display a temperature, even when water is not present or being discharging through the showerhead.
Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,255 issued to Shirmohamadi for Shower water automatic temperature controller on Aug. 31, 1999. However, it differs from the present invention because Shirmohamadi teaches a self-contained unit 160 that rapidly and accurately senses, controls and maintains the temperature of water delivered to the user of a shower or bath. The invention allows a user to preset a desired water temperature using a manual control interface 60 and uses a sensor 10 located on (or within) the mixer outlet pipe 20 to measure the temperature of the mixed water being delivered to the user. The sensor produces an input signal that is used by a microprocessor 30 to calculate both derivative gain and proportional gain, and fuzzy logic may also be used by the microprocessor to produce an output signal, such that the system responds quickly and accurately to both quantum temperature changes and to the rate of temperature change. The output signal controls a motor 80 that via the action of gears 90, controls the action of the water mixer valve 110 thus maintaining a constant temperature of water delivered to the user. The invention also allows a number of users to preset temperatures for their own comfort, and to select this preset temperature before entering the shower, so negating the need for manual “trial and error” adjustment. Importantly, the invention is also designed so that any layperson, with no plumbing experience and the minimum of mechanical ability may retrofit the device to an existing water delivery system.
Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention. There are no similar water temperature display systems to the best of applicant's knowledge, having a real-time temperature display that is installed directly to an existing shower arm and showerhead, without modification of any in-wall plumbing system and has an adjustable LCD display panel to provide optimal viewing angles.